Allowing those who live in Low-Income Apartment Complexes to garden, and grow their own food(s) will extend life expectancy rates by bettering our Mental and Physical Health, and heal generations to come.

    As a single-mother of three children—ages 3, 2, and 1 years, I can personally admit that life has become a bit overwhelming due to the new way of life, since COVID-19. From my perspective as a 25 year old mother, society was forced into "social distancing", mask mandates, various forms of discrimination towards those waiving the vaccine and also towards those who refuse to have a COVID-19 test performed on their families and themselves. Now, for many of us, life has become rather....uncomfortable.

   Over the past few years, I took the time to have conversations with (vaccinated and non-vaccinated) Wisconsin citizens of all ages, who were brave enough to engage in conversation with me, and also fellow families that live in Low-Income Apartment Complexes (Projects). During these diverse, eye-opening, and vulnerable moments, I realized these facts:

• Low-Income families often never financially rise above Low-Income status, resulting in the need for constant government assistance for life, which hinders society as a whole in terms of taxes, etc. 

• Hobbies such as gardening or farming would allow families to go into business and create generational wealth, no longer relying on Government Assistance. 

• COVID-19 has forced many of us to shift into a fear-based mindset.

• Many of us have becomeafraid to leave the safety of our homes, resulting in us ordering food, or eating majority processed foods.

• Our Health, as a human race is declining—Life Expectancy is decreasing due to Physical and Mental Health. 

• The pandemic is causing many of us to develop anxiety, and/or depression.

• Since the pandemic, there hasn't been much face to face communication; there's less interpersonal interaction, and almost no one is able to tell if we're smiling at one another anymore, due to the masks during mandate! 

• Unemployment rates are high due to COVID-19 restrictions causing the fore-mentioned discriminations against those not-vaccinated and not tested for COVID-19.

   Taking into account these facts, I could relate to each person I encountered, no matter their preferences and perspective on life.

We all agreed that we as a collective need to find outlets to release stress, anxiety, and/or depression. We all agreed that we as a collective could take better care of Self, physically and mentally, starting with our Diet. Diet is not just what you eat, it is what you consume as a whole—what we watch, what we choose to do on a day-to-day basis, what we pay attention to, habits, thoughts, structure or lack of....etc. 

   In my opinion, I strongly stand for allowing Low-Income Housing (Apartment Complexes/Projects in specific) to allow the tenants the right to build flowerbeds and the space to start their own gardens on the property. Allowing this would better the mental health, the physical health, resulting in healthier communities world-wide. 

In order for this Change to be implemented (not in order):

• Low-Income Housing Authorities must lift the "rule or restrictions" in regards to gardening on the property.

• City Council meetings must be attended and those who agree with this change must speak in agreement with this action. 

• Communities will come together to build these gardening spaces.

• The positive shift(s) will take place, worldwide. 

  If you took the time to read my message to the public, and agree with implementing this Change for the people, please email me:

email: IROCSOLO6@GMAIL.COM

Cori Torres, Madison, W.I.

Gratitude,

- Cori T.